Aerial propeller.



A. D. MACDONALD. AERIAL PEOPELLER.

' urmonron FILED JAN. 16, 19121 Patented May 5, 1914.

2 sums-21mm A. D. MAODONALD.

AERIAL PROPELLER.

APPLIOA-TION rum) JAN.16, 1912.

1,095,649, Patented May 5, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOH mmm/w HIS ATTORNEY.

. 1' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

ARGHIBALID mvm' man r-am, or scornram. vtcr me, AUSTRALIA- Specification of Letters Patent;

' application filed January 16, 1912. Serial No. 671,479.

" Arman rnornnrna To all ephom it may concern: Be t known that I, ARGHIBALD DAVID MACDONALD, a subject of the King'of Great Britain, residing at Britannia House, T00:

' vehicles. I

In order that the invention maybe the more easily understood,- reference' may be made to the accompanying drawings, .in

which- Figure 1 is a front view of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof in longitudinal section taken at line 1-2 'on Fig. 1. 3 is a .front view of the internal or moving portion of Fig. 1 and omitting the outer drum, while Fig. 4 illustrates one form of arrangement of my invention when applied to, an aerial machine. Fig. 5 is a front view of the forward end of the drum showing a Venetian blind secured therein with the slats in a closed position. Fig. 6 is a section on the diagrammatic illustration in perspective of the manner of connecting the cords by which.

the Venetian blind isoperated.

lieu of employing: an ordinary propeller revolving or rotating in the open' air and driven by a motor I communicate themotive power from such-engine to a spindle a on which are 'set several (preferably four)- armb andvanishin .toa point at the outer radial arms 6; these arms are at the front and backend's of the spindle a and preferably close to the hearings in which the said spindle runs.

Running from each 'ofthe front radial members or arms I) toits corresponding back one is a vane d having a depth the equivalent of the length of the front radial diameter of thebac radial arm at d, the

top longitudinal line as of each of the said vanes at being at right-angles to the said arms I) but the lower edge d being cut away to form the said vane into an extended triangle; These vanes (i may be either fiat as one plane or 1n some'cases the tapering or narrowing end d may curvein accord-- ance with any predetermined scheme of Patented May 5, 1,914.

clearance for the air which the vane when revolving will draw in ate and eject at f.

-The'ends of the radial arms I) are stayed to one another and also to the central spindle a by. straining wires or rods 9 .50 as to form a rigid construction on the part of the spindle a. the arms I) and the vanes d.

The whole longitudinal construction of spindle arms and vanes lies centrally placed within an inclosing cylindrical casing or drum it smooth on the interior but braced on the exterior. One or both ends of the drum h areopen to admit the ingress and egress of air, the-amount of opening of each end, particularly that of 'the front, bein justable byany conveniently designe closmg in devices, one of which latter may 'consist of Venetian or louvered shutters, such as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, their adjustment being operatable by the driver at his place -in the machine, the whole being so arranged that on the driver closing the openings the vanes 03 will cease to have propulsive effect owing to their want of air on which to operate, and it will therefore be also noted that the adjustment of speed of the aerial .machine can be controlled by the driver without stoppin the engine as would be necessary were t e open propeller-system to be used.

To the drum is attached the supporting planes 5 and floor j for human beings, and In these; drawings it .will be seen that in in some cases the bearings a of the spindle may also be mounted upon cross members '0 from the said drum 72,50 that the spindle a with its, arms and vanes may revolve freely.

in the said drum. is is a 'pulley for impartin rotary motion to thespindle a.

i would have it understood that I do not arbitrarily confine myself to any particular anglenorlength of the vanes (1, nor to the diameter of thearms b, spindle a and drum h as the same maybe adjustedfto suit the varying requirements of the machines to which my meansof propulsionmay be employed.

Referring the slatsof a Venetian'blind; These slats are attached totubes m fixed on spindles n to Figs. 5, (i -and 7, Z indicates The cords 0 attachedto front and rear levers 39 secured to the tubes m. The cordspass through the bottom of the drum under pulleys r two of which are at the front and two at the rear of the shutters.

There are two pairs of the cords 0, one pair connected to the levers p at the front, and the other pairto the levers p at the rear; each pair of cords 0 are preferably connected to a separate cord 0', which cords o extend to within reach of the operator which enables him to open or close all the slats of the Venetian blind at the same time, according to which one of the cords 0 is manipulated.

I claim as my invention:

1. An aerial propeller comprising a cylindrical casing, a central longitudinal shaft within said casing, rigidly fiat triangular blades radiating from said shaft, each of said blades having its forward end extending throughout the entire length of the radius and diminishing in width to a vanishing point at the rear.

2. An aerial propeller comprising a cylindrical casing, a central longitudinal shaft within said casing, rigidly fiat triangular blades radiating from said shaft, each pf said blades having its forward end extending throughout the entire length of the radius and diminishing in width to a vanishing point at the rear, and radial arms secured to said shaft and to'which the rear ends of the blades are attached, said radial arms having a length approximately-equal to the length of the forward ends of the blades.

3. An aerial propeller comprising a cylindrical casing, a central, longitudinal shaft Within said casing, radial arms adjacent each end of said shaft and secured thereto, and rigidly flat triangular blades extending betweensaid arms and connected thereto at each end, the forward ends of said blades having a length approximately equal to the length of the forward arms and extending rearwardly to a vanishing point:

4. An aerial propeller comprising a cylindrical casing, a central longitudinal shaft within said casing, radial arms adjacent each end of saidshaft and secured thereto,

- rigidly flat triangular blades extending between said arms and connected thereto at neonate each end,,the forward ends of said blades having a length approximately equal to thelength of the forward arms and extending rearwardly to a vanishing point, and means for regulating the supply of air to the blades.

5,1811 aerial propeller comprising a cylindrical casing, a central longitudinal shaft within said casing, radial arms adjacent each end of said shaft and secured thereto, rigidly flat triangular blades extending between said arms and connected thereto at eachend, the forward ends of said blades having a length approximately equal to the length of the forward arms and extending 'rearwardly to a vanishing point, and adj 11stable shutters for regulating the supply of air to the blades.

6. An aerial propeller comprising a cylindrical casing, a central longitudinal shaft within said casing, radial arms adjacent each end of said shaft and secured thereto, rigidly flat triangular blades extending be tween said arms and connected thereto at each end, the forward ends of said blades having a length approximately equal to the length of the forward arms and extending rearwardly to a vanishing point, adjustable shutters for regulating the supply of air to the blades, and means for operating the shutters.

7. In an aeroplane provided with supporting planes and a platform for a motor and passengers, thecombination of a cylindrical casing arranged between the supporting planes and the platform and secured to both,'a central longitudinal shaft within said casing, radial arms adjacent each end of said shaft and secured thereto, and rigidly flat triangular blades extending between said arms and connected thereto at each end, the forward ends of said blades having a length approximately equal to the lengthof the forward arms and extending rearwardly to a vanishing point.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 100 two subscribing-witnesses;

ARCHIBALD' DAVID lllAODONALl).

Witnesses:

Anion Harman, DOROTHY LOUISA SMITH. 

